Ducks find a bit of motivation

The last time the Edmonton Oilers appeared on the Honda Center ice, the Ducks looked on in silence at the Oilers being crowned Western Conference champions.

Unwilling to look at but unable to turn away, it’s an image that forward Dustin Penner compared on that June afternoon to “looking into the sun.�

The Ducks were in a far different mood Wednesday night after their rousing 6-2 victory in their first crack at the Stanley Cup finalists. Ryan Getzlaf and Travis Moen each had two goals to power their biggest offensive night of the season in front of an announced 13,537.

The lopsided win wasn’t exactly revenge but it provided a small dose of self-respect against an Edmonton team that has long dominated them. It was one-sided last season as the Oilers won all four regular-season meetings before their five-game playoff series win.

“I thought everybody in this dressing room thought there was a little bit more on the line tonight,� said Jean-Sebastien Giguere, who made 29 saves in winning his fourth start in a row. “They beat us quite a bit last [season]. We wanted to be ready and try to change this around.�

It was just four months ago that the Oilers joyously skated around the ice adorned in T-shirts and caps celebrating their first Cup appearance in 16 years. That memory has stayed fresh in the Ducks’ minds.

“We lost to them in the playoffs and it ended up our season before we thought it should have been ended,� forward Todd Marchant said. “We wanted to come out tonight and focus on this game.�

The Ducks added defenseman Chris Pronger in the off-season when the five-time All-Star wanted out of Edmonton. They hoped that he would be the final missing piece.

It was Pronger’s first game against his former team and he made it count. The defenseman assisted on three of the goals in his biggest game since his arrival in Anaheim.

“When you’re playing against former teammates and a city where you used to play, it’s always a big game,� Pronger said. “This team was 1-8 against them last year and 0-4 in the regular season, so we wanted to get off to a good start against them this year.�

Getzlaf got his second career two-goal game while the low-scoring Moen had his first. Scott Niedermayer and rookie Ryan Shannon also scored goals and Samuel Pahlsson assisted on Moen’s goals.

The Ducks, who continue to roll in improving to a franchise-best 7-0-2, are seemingly getting production from everywhere.

“We have to play four lines,� Coach Randy Carlyle said. “That’s what our hockey club’s about. And we have to make sure those four lines make some sort of contribution, not just on the offensive side, but on the energy side, defense.�

Niedermayer ended a 1-1 tie with a backhander past goaltender Dwayne Roloson to start a second-period splurge. Getzlaf added to the lead a little more than two minutes later when he unleashed a blur of a wrist shot that was in the net before Roloson could react.

It was not a good night for Roloson, who starred for the Oilers in the postseason but gave up three goals on eight shots during the second period Wednesday night and all six on 20 shots.

“It’s maybe the first game where he wasn’t the star when he’s played,� Coach Craig MacTavish said of the 37-year-old Roloson. “But we had quite a few breakdowns in front of him.�

The Ducks spoiled the return of Joffrey Lupul and Petr Sykora. Lupul was the key player involved in the trade for Pronger and Sykora, a key part of their run to the 2003 Cup finals, was traded midway through last season.

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